FSC Canada’s National Forest Stewardship Standard was launched almost five (5) years ago. This means it's time to review the requirements and make necessary revisions to the Standard to ensure we remain at the forefront of protecting Canada’s forests and tackling our climate and biodiversity challenges including, amongst others, our approach to Large Landscapes.
Based on feedback from FSC members and stakeholders including Indigenous members, six (6) focus areas were identified as having opportunities for improved requirements and implementation measures. They include:
1) Large Landscapes including Intact Forest Landscapes and Indigenous Cultural Landscapes
2) Woodland Caribou
3) Forest Resiliency and Carbon Management
4) Pesticide Indicators
5) Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (Free, Prior and Informed Consent)
6) European Union Deforestation Regulations (EUDR)
Revising these key areas will also allow FSC Canada to ensure international generic indicators reflect the Canadian context.
The Large Landscapes Learning Video Series
The Large Landscapes video series includes five (5) informative videos that explore critical aspects of the National Forest Stewardship Standard revision process.
This video series highlights the importance of protecting large landscapes and is an essential resource for understanding how FSC Canada is leading the way in sustainable forest management.
Video 1: Introduction to Large Landscapes
Sean Dolter, Director of Standards and Policy at FSC Canada, introduces the series and outlines the focus on large landscapes, including Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) and Indigenous Cultural Landscapes (ICLs). The video emphasizes the importance of revising the National Standard to address evolving forest values, climate change, and biodiversity challenges.
Video 2: Intact Forest Landscapes in Canada
Cliff Wallis, Chair of FSC Canada’s Board of Directors and director at the Alberta Wilderness Association discusses IFLs, which are large, undisturbed areas over 50,000 hectares, essential for supporting natural ecosystems. The video explores the role of IFLs in conserving biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and contributing to Canada’s 30x30 conservation goals.
Video 3: Indigenous Cultural Landscapes
Isabelle Allen, Project Forester at Wahkohtowin and member of the Timiskaming First Nation explains Indigenous Cultural Landscapes (ICLs), emphasizing their cultural, environmental, and economic value to Indigenous Peoples. The video highlights the overlap between IFLs and Indigenous lands and the necessity of integrating ICLs into FSC’s forest management standards.
Video 4: The Normative Process
Sean Dolter, Director of Standards and Policy at FSC Canada, delves into FSC’s normative process, which is used to develop and refine indicators for forest management certification. The video explains how the process respects Indigenous Peoples’ rights, aligns with Canadian ecological contexts, and addresses the challenges of integrating ICLs into the standards.
Video 5: Verified Impact on Large Landscapes
Amy Willox, Climate and Ecosystem Services Manager at FSC Canada, discusses FSC’s Ecosystem Services Procedure, which allows certificate holders to verify and claim the positive impacts of their forest management practices. The video outlines how these verified impacts can enhance conservation financing, support Indigenous communities, and contribute to global sustainability goals.
This landscape-specific and differentiated approach, as directed by Motion 23, is currently undergoing pilot testing in Canada, as well as other countries in FSC’s global network. Standard Development Groups (SDGs) in Canada with IFLs overlapping FSC-certified management units will participate in these pilots following the procedure and the guidance developed. SDGs are groups FSC recognizes to develop (or update) standards in its specific territory per FSC requirements and have representation from the environmental, economic, social and Indigenous chambers.
Stay tuned for future updates on the National Forest Stewardship Standard revision process.